Reasons for Teacher Apathy
Why Are Teaching Professionals Leaving Academia?
Public schools are in trouble. Where did the problems begin and why are good teachers leaving like rats on a sinking ship?
Less than forty years ago, children would arrive to their first day of school filled with expectation and a flutter of excitement. Today, many children arrive at school anticipating disruption and chaos in their classrooms. Many public schools and public school teachers in America are faced with large numbers of students who haven't the slightest interest in education or in learning skills that might positively benefit their lives. So the question becomes: What ever happened to public school education?
Is the system fixable?
Although the list of what is wrong in public schools can be construed as endless by many parents and certain academic professionals while teachers and academic administrators might boil the problems down to simple issues such as non-parent participation in their children's academic lives to teacher overload and burnout. The bottom line is that public education isn't providing enough students with an adequate education.
Were these issues the root of the problems?
In the early 1970s liberal minded educational professionals decided to level the academic playing field to aid minority students who weren't performing as well as their white counter parts, academically, because of systematic racism. On the heels of the leveled academic playing field arose the "feel good" pop psychology notion where performance and hard work was replaced by respect and praise without performance. Student praise for none or poor academic performance became the norm in many classrooms and student performance and behavior began to decline. In "US News and World Report (May,1998) author John Leo states: "The self-esteem movement is one of the marvels of our time. It goes on and on, even though its assumptions are wrong and its basic premises have been discredited by a great deal of research." Yet many school administrators and school psychologists continue to use this flawed technique to reach students in public schools.
Are parents to blame for the decline in public education?
The transition from traditional academic environments to positive self esteem centers were also affected by a new wrinkle, the decline of cooperative parenting. The idea that children could grow up in a community of caring adults that encompassed neighbors, teachers and well-meaning family members was replaced by the the superparent. A superparent is an all knowing parent who doesn't ask for or need advice from anyone about how to raise their children. In "Psychology Today" (May,1987) author David Elkin observes: "The result it that many parents are far too intrusive. By deciding what and when children should learn, they [parents] rob them of the opportunity to take responsibility for their mistakes and credit for their achievements."
What are the reasons for teacher flight?
During the 1980s young students were also taught to undermine a parent's authority. Children were instructed to tell teachers if they were being spanked or abused at home in any way by a parent. Teachers and administrators became faced with super parents who were very certain that their children were never ever wrong. In a recent LA Times Editorial (May 7, 2007) stated: "The result is that behavior problems frustrate teachers and hinder motivated students in many schools." Classrooms became places where undisciplined, disruptive or violent behavior by students left teachers and administrators powerless to discipline these students without the support of their parents. These changes have resulted in many public schools being, at first glance, a chaotic environment where teachers are expected to teach and to maintain order in classrooms where students arrive at school without any parental discipline, or support. Is it any wonder that many excellent teachers are fleeing the classroom?
